The Future
by SnowfairyTheOriginal
Summary: A drabble in my spare time on Naruto, post-war canon.


AN: I don't own anything.

The future

It was within the ashes of war that they would rise. Broken, shattered, but still mendable with time. Though the fighting had lasted a day, shorter than any previous ninja war, the destruction, the havoc was insurmountable. A young warrior with tired green eyes surveyed her surroundings. The ground around her feet was destroyed. Smoke and dust swirled on the wind, irritating her already dried eyes, burning her throat as she let out a raspy cough.

To her left, her sensei sat upon the earth. His body language read of exhaustion. Though the battle was won, the tole on him personally had been great, and the weight of all that had passed was heavily pressed upon his drooping shoulders. Without a word she moved closer to him and laid her small hand on him, shaking him from whatever thoughts were isolating him in that moment. Eyes looked up at her, eyes that did not belong with this tired face. Eyes that carried the weight of what caused this war, of what helped save them. He closed them, a hand rising to his shoulder to encompass her own hand that still lingered.

The girl, no, the woman tightened her grip in reassurance with a sad smile. To her right, a cough and she turned to face the noise. Laying on his back, the usually boisterous youth was sprawled with his limbs, tiredly extended in all directions. Moving to kneel by his head, a voice that didn't register as her own croaked from her lips.

"Daijoubu, Naruto?"

Blue eyes opened and blinked through the haze at her. With a crooked grin he replied, "Hai, Sakura-chan. Hai."

In the distance, the feint sounds of the pods encasing the shinobi army, breaking loose and confused souls emerging met their ears. Some cheering, some crying, some left silent in the wake of facing this world again. The truth of what happened was real to them in an instant, the pain of what was lost, the pain of what might have been, or in some cases what should never have been was apparent.

Shuffling caused Sakura to look up ahead of them, and through the dusty air a familiar shadow moved towards them. As the fatigue set in, he dropped to a knee and Sakura rushed to be a shoulder to lean on. She was only slightly surprised that her aid was not rejected as she held up the boy, no, man whom had been the war's prodigal son. He grunted in discomfort, a sound unbecoming of his usual prideful ways. She took it as a sign to allow the healing energies of her glowing green hands to send her chakra to work. No real signs of damage or danger, sore muscles, old wounds not perfectly healed, nothing the medic-nin wasn't able to fix quickly.

"Daijoubu... Sasuke-kun?" This time, her voice was more familiar if only slightly more hushed in tone.

Eyes that had only been unfocused on the ground ahead on him moved to gaze into her own then. His back straightened a bit more, his shoulders and muscles flexing at his movements as he felt the ache in his body lessen completely. "Aa.." She helped him stand again, noticing the distinct sense of loss when his body weight shifted away and off of her. His gaze however remained. Lingering to an almost uncomfortable span of time.

"We should check the others." Kakashi's voice suddenly announced and she heard more than saw him pick himself off the ground. "You all.." The older man's eyes moved from one to the other and back again, the words he wished to say falling short of the intent of feeling he was attempting to express.

The three youth looked upon their sensei... their former sensei, Naruto moving to stand at his side then. "Nani Nani Kakashi-sensei?"

The grey haired nin's eyes crinkled with his unseen smile, and his hand rustled the hair of the boy who no longer was a loudmouthed unpredictable boy, although still loudmouthed and unpredictable he amended. "You all... did well."

Naruto scratched the tip of his nose with a throaty laugh as Sakura's eyes softened. She smiled brightly at the scene and her heart swelled. The fighting was done now, wasn't it? Could they finally rest, couldn't there finally be a moment of peace for everyone?

Sasuke shifted on his feet and began walking from the group.

"Sasuke!"

His foot halted in step and his head only slightly turned in acknowledgement of his name being called. Naruto ran forward towards him, stopping an arms length away.

"Sasuke." The serious expression on his face lessened as he extended an arm. His gesture of friendship, of forgiveness and brotherhood not lost on all who were watching. Sasuke's eyes lingered on the extended hand for what seemed like forever, an internal conflict waging war within his heart.

"My path has not changed. I still intend to become Hokage... Dobe." With that he continued on his pathway forward, away from the remaining members of team 7. Sakura frowned, her hands unknowingly clutching the fabric of her shirt above her chest. Kakashi's face was unreadable, his mask doing well to hide his thoughts from the group, and Naruto's hand lingered a moment before clenching at his side. His head lowered for just a moment before he bolted off in the same direction Sasuke had went. His body language had changed slightly, and he yelled, "Temmmeeee, I'm going to be the next Hokage Dattebayo! Don't get in my way!"

His resolve not broken by the Uchiha's words. He fought along side the dark haired brooder, they had saved not only the village, but the world. Darkness was not going to consume him again. Naruto could feel it.

Sakura's heart tightened before a jolt shook her from her reverie and she looked up at Kakashi who's hand was affectionately atop her head. "Let's go.. Sakura" A pang of familiarity hit her chest, recalling all of the times her sensei had touched her in reassurance and proclaimed that everything was going to be alright. The lies that promise had turned out to be. Her hand clutched at his side and she shakily replied, "Hai.." With a deep inhale of breath her face set in determination. In that moment, she shook herself free of the anxiety and reset her resolve much as Naruto had. She watched as the Uzumaki and the Uchiha moved on with their backs to her. She grinned a moment at her sensei and suddenly ran off on Naruto's heels.

"Not if I become Hokage first Naruto!" the blonde tripped, face-planting at her bold declaration and she skipped over him wizzing past the dark haired Uchiha at the front. Her pink tendrils moved as if in slow motion in his peripheral vision, soaring past with a twinkling giggle upon her lips. She captured his attention with her sudden rush forward. Over her shoulder, her alluring eyes met his for just a moment before she pressed on towards the sounds of others. The blonde zoomed past him now as well, his boisterous laughter meeting Sasuke's ears. The two dispersed the dust, revealing the break of sunlight from the now mostly risen sun. He followed, as stoic and brooding as ever, he followed the light in their wake.

Kakashi watched quietly as the two boys followed after Sakura, silently musing to himself. With a quiet sigh he followed them as well, resolving to let the next generation take the lead.


End file.
